Davidson lacrosse starts their A-10 tournament run on Thursday against VCU. Photo by Elayna Daniels ‘21

By: Coleman Richards ’19

Staff Writer

The ‘Cats, after a tough 2-4 start to conference play, are playing some of their best lacrosse this season. The team has since won their final three games in conference and successfully clinched a spot in the Atlantic 10 tournament as a fifth seed.

The team started the season off strong with back-to-back wins against Furman and Winthrop. After a tough stretch against William and Mary, Mercer, and Colgate, the Cats finished tough with wins against Iona, Campbell, and a 19-3 victory over Gardner-Webb. After suffering an incredibly close loss to VCU at home on senior day, the ‘Cats turned it around and ended up notching three consecutive wins on the road against Atlantic 10 opponents Duquesne, St. Bonaventure, and George Washington, thereby successfully clinching the 5th seed into the A-10 tournament.

Despite their most recent success, the ‘Cats still await a tough A-10 tournament ahead. In the first round, Davidson will face off against 4th seed VCU. Top seed UMass awaits in the second round, should the ‘Cats beat VCU. UMass poses a particular threat as they have not lost a game in the A-10 tournament in over 10 years.

No matter how impressive UMass’s record is, Davidson is up for the challenge. “This is the year,” Rose Woolson ‘18 said. Sarah Kopp ‘19 said, “We were one of the only teams to go 50-50 with them in draws in the regular season, or 1-on-1 battles for the ball in the middle of the field. What’s more, we have had impressive showings against other top teams in the A10 this season.”

Rachel Hianik ‘18 added that one of her season highlights was holding #2 seed Richmond to 9 goals, a feat Davidson has accomplished alongside only UVA and JMU, who are both nationally ranked. If the ‘Cats face UMass with the same gritty mentality, Davidson just may come out on top. The other side of the bracket includes #6 seed George Mason, #3 seed St. Joseph’s, and Richmond, who is waiting comfortably like U-Mass with a first round by.

One of Davidson’s biggest A-10 rivals is George Mason. Kopp noted they are a team that is typically ranked higher than us, but despite this the ‘Cats are able to beat them consistently. Last season, the Cats lost to George Mason in the regular season by 10 goals, but then were able to rally against the Patriots to beat them in the A-10 tournament. This season, they beat George Mason 10-6 in the regular season; a great team victory but also a personal victory for Kopp, who was seeking vengeance after a broken nose in the playoffs last year. St. Joseph’s is the higher seed and should be favored in their match vs. George Mason given their 7-2 record, with losses only UMass and Richmond. This being said, the other side of the bracket should be won by Richmond, and, if we see them in the finals, the Spiders can anticipate a strong defensive showing from the ‘Cats.